Car-lighting system



w. L. CoNwEL.|

' cfm LIGHTING SYSTEM Dec. 15,1925

Filed oct, a; 1921 s sheets-sheet 1 Wal/L MVENTOR y' BY @27.

ATTORN YS Dec. 15,1925- W. L." CONWELL CAR LIGHT-ING SYSTEM Filed octfs. 1921 's sheets-sheet 2 u goA N INVENTOR ATTORNEYS II'HLH lu N RR Dec.15 l925- w. 1 coNwELL.

CAR LIGHTING SYSTEM y3 Isheets-sheer l bu/mzwmm ATTORNEY Patented oec.15, 1925',

UNITEDxsTATI-is PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER L. co'NWELLroE EroNTcLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNoR To THE SAFETY cARHEATING af, EIGIITING eoMPANY, A CORPORATION or NEW JERSEY.

' CAR-LIGHTING SYSTEM.

Application Ille'd4 October 8, 1921. Serial' 1l'o. ,506,268.

To all whom 'it may concern.A

Be it known that I, WALTER L. CoNwEL'L,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Montclair, county ofEssex, State of New Jersey, have invented an Improvement in"Car-Lighting Systems, `of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric ear lighting systems in which anelectric generator is driven from a earv axle, and more particularlythis invention relates to apparatus for 'transmitting energy derivedfrom the movcmentof the car or train to the generator.

An object of this invention is to provide a hydraulic power transmissionapparatus for driving an electric generator from a car axle.

Another object is to provide ap aratus of the above character that willbe o `practical and substantially inexpensive manufacture and in whichthe several parts thereof may be mounted upon or related to the variousparts of a ear or truck ina dependable and practical manner wherebyaccessibility to the several parts may be attained. This invention aimsalso to provide a transmission system of the above character vin whichthe energy output of the genera-tor may be regulated automatically andin an entirely reliable manner. Other objects will be in part obvious orin part pointed outhereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the Jfeatures of construction,combinations vof elements and arrangement of parts as will beexemplified in the structure to be hereinafter described and the scopeof the application ot which will be indicated in the :tollowing claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is illustrated an embodiment ofthis invention and in which likerefcrence characters refer to like partsthroughout,

Figure 1 is a lan view, partly diagrammatic, showing t e several partsof the car lightingsystem of this invention inassembled. relation .withrespect to the car axle;

Figure Q is a transverse Section on an enlarged scale through one of thepumping elements, and

' Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional View on an enlarged scale,through one of the pumping units and shows the relation of the severalpumping elements ofthe unit to one another Figure 4 is a 'transversesectional view on an enlarged scale showing a modified form of pumpingelement;

Figure 5 is a sectional view partly in elevation taken on the line 5-5of Fig. 1 and shows the relation between the several pumping units tothe car axle;

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail view, partlyin section, of an automaticvalve in the hydraulic system; and

Figure 7 is a similar view of an electrically controlled regulatingvalve operated in the hydraulic system.

l In Fig. 1 in the drawings, there is shown a car axle 10 withassociated wheels adapted to assist in supporting any suitable form oftruck frame 11. 'The truck frame 11 has preferably embodied in itsuitable transversely extending members 12 and 13 across which arebridged ithe longitudinally extending Struts 14 and 15. The pumpingelements of the hydraulic system are preferably grouped to form twopumping. units, supported respectively upon the struts 14 and 15. 16 and17 having a general arcuate shape, as shown more clearly in Fig. 5, andare sup- .ported on the struts 14 and 15 by means of suitable supportingflanges 18 and 19 respectively which may be integrally formed with thecasings 16 and 17. The supporting flanges 18 and 19 may be secured tothe struts 14 and 15 respectively inany suitable manner,- as by thebolts 20, for example, and are adapted Vto support th'e arcuate casings16 and 17 in substantially concentric relation with respect to the axes-othe ear axle. Suitable tie-rods, indicated at 21, may be provided toassist in maintaining the two casings in proper relation to the earaxle.

The arcuate casings 16 .and 17 may bel .made in any convenient length.,but, as will These units `comprise the casings that the several be seenfrom the ensuing description, they are preferably made of such extent asto iiiclude less than 180 between their extreme ends, thus to insuregreater feasibility of construction and manufacture. The casings y16 and17 are substantially identical in con-' struction and hence the detailsof their construction, as well asthe details of the construction of theindividua-L pumping eBeinents associated therewith, willv be"'"eoh*`"fined hereinafter to the description of only one of the casings with itsrespective puniping elements. Y.

As indicated in Fig-1, and as shown in the fragmentary sectional viewsin Figs. 3 and 5, the easing 17 is bored'out to provide a plurality" ofradially extending@ cylinders 22 whose axes extend, as already noted,along v respective radii of the arcuate casing 17 and since the latteris mounted concentrically with respect to theaxis of the car axle 10,the axes of the' respective cylinders will converge to a pointsubstantially coincident with the axis of the axle 10.

Within each cylinder 22 there is mounted for reeiprocation therein aplunger or piston 23 which is preferably extended downwardly-to form aprojecting operative portion 24 at the lower end of which there isformed or suitably secured thereto a yoke .25, the arms '26 and 27 ofwhich form-"the supports for the roller 28 mounted rotation upon the pin29 extending thif-ough p the arms 26 and 27.A The upper end of thecylinder 22 is closed by a portion of the main casing 17 and theoperative portion 24 of the piston 23 is packed with respect to thecylinder 22 by .means of-a suitable stuffing box, indicated at 30, asuitable packing Y material 30a being provided to maintain theslidingconnection fluid-tight. An eccentric 31, preferably formed in twohalves as indicated in Fig. 5, is clamped upon the axle 10 by means ofthe split hub Athe periphery of the eccentric`31. vThus,

as the car -axle 10 with its associated eccentricv 31 is rotated,'theplungers 23 in the casing 17 are successively and progressivelyreciproeated, and it will be noted plunger's are operated out of' phaseor out o step with one another.

Referring now to Fig. 2 of the drawings,

it will be noted that the upper end of the cylinder 22 is provided withan intake port 35 and an outlet port 36 controlled, respectively, by theautomatically operating valves 37 and 38. The plunger 23 may be packedat its upper end in any suitable manner, as indicated for example at 39,in order to reduce leakage past the plunger. In order, however, totakecare of such leakage as may occur, there is provided at the lowerportion of the cylinder 22 a counterbored or recessed section 4() whichis connected by means of the pipe 41 to the inlet manifold indicated at42. Thus, whatever leakage past the plunger 23 takes place, it isCollected in the counterbored portion 40 and returned to the inlet orsuction side of the pumping element.

`*Returning now to Figure 1 of the drawings, the respective inlet ports35 controlled by the automatic valves 37 of the several pumping elements'22 are connected to a common conduit 43 which will hereinafter betermed the return conduit of the system. Similarly, the outlet orexhaust ports 36 controlled by the automatic valves 3 of the severalpumping elements 22 are connected to a common conduit 44 which will betermed hereinafter the supply lconduit. Furthermore, as indicated inFig. 1, the respective elements of each pumping unit indicated by thecasings 16 and 17 are similarly connected to the respective conduitsabove noted sov that the pumping elei'rentsff the two units are fed withthe fluid of the system from the common return conduit 43 and exhaustthefluid under pressure into the common supply conduit 44. As indicatedclearly in 'F ig. 5, a

second eccentric 31 is mounted upon the car axle 10 in a similar manneras the eecentric 31 hereinbefore described, lthe eccentric 31n beingpositioned in operative relation to the several pumping elements oftheunit 16. vThe eccentric 31, however, is mounted upon the car axle 1() inopposite Yrelation-to theV eccentric 31, that is, the two eccentrics'arespaced 180 apart from one another. Thus, as more clearly seen in Fig.5, asthe eccentric 31 progressively operates upon the pumping elements'of the unit '17 toV permit the elements of the latter to make theirreturn or suction strokes in progressive or out of phase relation to oneanother, the leccentric 31". ,is operative upon the elements of the unit16 to cause these elements to make Ytheir working or pumping strokes inprogressive relation. In v this manner the several pumping elements fofboth units are maintained out of phase with one another andsubstantially continuous, that is, non-pulsating pressure in the supplyvconduit 44 is maintained.

. Turning now again to Fig. 1 of the Athe form of a Pelton Wheel.

inlet 46 of a suitable hydraulic motor indicated at 47 ,The motor 47 maybe of any suitable type and may, for example, take The outlet 48 of themotor 47 is connected through the flexible conduit 49 to the returncon-. duit 43- associated with the pumping unit.

To the shaft 50 of the motor 47 is connected a generator 51 preferablyof the shuntwound type which is adapted l.to supply a.

storage, battery 52 and a lamp or Work circuit 53 through theconductors54 and 55. The motor 47 With its associated generator are preferablysecured to the under side of the car frame indicated at 56 and adaptedto be supported upon the truck frame 11, and maybe secured thereto inany suitable manner, an indicated for ex- 'ample at 57.

The fluid employed and operatedl upon by the pumping units 16 and 17 ispreferably a liquid such as a suitable oil, and as soon as the pressurein the supply conduit 44 has attained a sufficient value to operate tliemotor 47, and hence the generator 51, at the desired' voltage a pressureoperated switch 58 interposed in the conductor 55 is operated to connectthe lamp and battery circuits to. The switch 58 comprises a ydiaphragmSQ suitably mounted in a casing 60 one end of which isconnected to the supthe generator.

ply conduit 44 through a flexible coupling 6l. The movement of thediaphragm 59 in response to the pressure exerted thereon by the fluid inthe casing 6() is opposed by a spring 62 mounted upon the stem 63connecting the switch 58 with the diaphragm 59. The spring 62 isinterposed between the diaphragm 59 and 'a sleeve 64 concentric with thestem 63 and threaded into the other end of the casing 60. The pressurein the fluid supply system at Which it is desired to have the generatorconnected to its circuit may thus be adjusted by means of the sleeve 63through which the tension of the spring 62 may be varied. This pressure,as above noted, is that pressure at Which the generator 51 will beoperated bythe motor 47 to produce a sufficient voltage at which theWork circuit or storage battery may be supplied with current.

In the conduit 45 connecting-the hydraulic motor y47 with the supplyconduit 44 there is inserted a regulating valve for controlling the flowof fluid to the motor 47. This valve, which is more clearly shown in theenlarged view of Figure 7, comprises the casing 65 provided with thevalve seat portions 66 with which a butterfly member 67 pivotallymounted upon the operating stem 68 cooperates. l To the operating stem68 is secured va lever 69 at one end of which there is connected throughthe link 70 the core 71 of a solenoid 72 connected through theconductors 73 and 74 (see Fig. 1) across the terminals of Athe generator51. A spring 7 5 connected to one end of the lever- 69 opposes theaction of the solenoid 72 and its tension may be adjusted so that thesolenoid 72 Will respond to the voltage at which it is desired toregulate the output of the generator 51.

The solenoid 72 is preferably adjusted, as above described, to beresponsive to a voltage corresponding substantially to the full chargevoltage of the storage battery 52. Thus, as the pressure and velocity ofthe fluid supplied to the hydraulic motor 47 motorf'47A and hence of thegenerator 51,

cause' 'a rise in the voltage of the generator above they value at whichthe solenoid 72 is adjusted to operate. rIhe latter at once becomeseffective Ato decrease the flow of fluid to the motor to maintain thespeed of the latter'I at avalue commensurate With the voltage at whichthe generator 51 is desired to be regulated. Viceversa, a decrease inthe speed of the car axle 10 resulting in a decrease in the pressure andvelocity ofthe fluid supplied to the motor 47 permits the solenoid 72 bya corresponding decrease ,in the voltage applied thereto to becomeeffectiveoto open the valve 67 to permit a greater flow of lfluid to themotor 47. Thus, the requisite speed of the motor 47 commensurate withthe desired voltage of the gen erator 51 is maintained throughoutvariations in the speed of rotation of the car axle The conduit 45-supplying fluid to the motor 47 is connected to the return conduit 43 ofthe hydraulic system through a conduit 76. The passage of fluid from thecar axle 10, and hence the pressure and velocity of the fluid, increase,thus bringlng about the throttling action of the valve member 67 inresponse to the solenoid 72, as hereinbefore described, the pressure inback of the valve member 67 and in the supply conduits Will tend toincrease because of the throttling action of the valve member llU ian

67, whereupon the increased pressureV acting entire range of operatingconditions and at the same time adequate protection against excessivepressures is afforded the entire pumping system. s

It may also be noted that if the hydraulic motor 47 is of adirect-acting type, a sud- 'den overload upon the generator would make ademand for an excessive pressure in the system at which the automaticvalvemember 78 may become operative to relieve the pumping system fromthe excessive overload and at vthe same time to relieve the generator,as well as its driving motor, from the excessive demands placed upon it.Such action is particularly advantageousin safeguarding the generatoragainst such injurylas may result from a short circuit, for example.

In Fig. 4 is illustrated a modified form of pumping element adapted tobe incorporated in the pumping units 16 and 17. In this ligure there isshown a casing 17 a in which the. individual p-umping elements comprisea cylinder 22a closed at its lower end by a portionof the casing 17a andclosed at its upper end by means of the cylinder cap 81 in threadedengagement with a counterbored portion of the cylinder 22a. Within thecylinder 22a there operates a piston 23a operated by` the piston rod 24aextending through the lower end of the easing- 17a, a Stalling boxindicated at 30" being provided to make the sliding connection Huidtight. The elements' 22 ot' the pumping units 16 and 17, hereinbeforedescribed, make their working or pumping stroke in an upward direction,that is, in a direction away from the common center or from the axis ofthe car axle 10. In the modification shown in Fig. 4, the working strokeof the piston 23a takes place in a reverse direction, that is, duringits movement toward the axis of the ear axle 10. For this purpose thelower end of the cylinder 23a is provided with the inlet port 35acontrolled by the automatic valve 37a and connected to the returnconduit 43 as hereinbeiore described and with an outlet port 36acontrolled by the automatic valve 38" and connected to the supplyconduit 44 which is in turn in connection with the hydraulic motor 47.

The piston rod24L .has mounted at .its lower end the yoke 25a. In therespective arms 26L and 27a there is mounted upon the pin 29d the roller28d adapted to contact with and to be operated by the eccentric.indicated at 3l.` A heavy spring 82 surrounds the piston 'rod 24a andlis interposed between the stufling box member 30b and th-e yoke Duringthe action of the eccentric 31 just described, the eccentric- 31 sto-resenergy 1n the spring 82 so that as the rotation of the eccentric 31continues, the piston 23a begins its pumping stroke by reason oftheexpenditure of the energy thus stored in the spring' 8 2. Thelatter ismade of such `Strength that it can be effective to operate the piston23f1 against any back pressure in the hydraulic system up to alpredetermined maximum value. This value is preferably equivalent tothat pressure at which the hydraulic motor 47 will operate at thedesired speed and output and may be so chosen that the pressure outputof the pumping units is substantially constant. Thus, as the speed ofrotation of the car axle l0 increases, the resultantV increase in speedof operation of the several pumping elements of the type illustrated inFig. 4 would tend to increase the pressure in the supply conduit 44. Assuch pressure increases however, the spring 82 operating each piston 23abecomes less effective and operates thepiston throughout a smallerextent of its pumping stroke. Vice versa, a decrease in the speed of thecar axle 1() tends to bring about a decrease in the pressure in thehydraulic system, whereupon the spring 82 operating each piston 23 ofthe several pumping elements is effective to operate its associatedpiston throughout a greater extend of its pumping stroke to maintain thepressure and velocity of the fluid in the supply conduits substantiallyconstant.l

Thus a substantially constant pressure and velocity in the fluid of thetransmission system is maintained and the pumping units are madesubstantially self-protective againstexcessive pressures due toexcessive speeds of operation.` The automatic valve 77 may thus be madeto function simply as a safety valve, as hereinbefore described, or mayeven be entirely dispensed with and the throttling valve controlled bythe electrical output of the generator becomes more sensitive and morepositivel in its action since it is called upon to operate againstconditions which are less varying or fluctuating than would otherwise bethe case.

In connection with the modified term just described'and shown in Fig. 4,it may be noted that leakage past the piston is returned to the intakemanifold indicated at 42a through the conduit 41a connecting the headend of the cylinder 22a. A suitable check valve indicated at 83 isinserted in the conduit 41a to prevent the passage to the head end ofthe cylinder of fluid from the intake manifold 42. v v

While in the foregoing descriptionbf the *pumping units it has beenstated that the arcuate casings 16 and 17 in which the ra-I diallyextending pun'iping elements operate are mounted. with respect to theaxis so that the common center coincides substantially with the axis ofthe axle 10, it will be understood that the cylinders comprising'thevarious elements are ofsuch length with respect to the strokes of thepistons or plungers operating therein that an appreciable clearance isleft between' the plunger and the head end of the cylinder. `Thuslrelative movement between the truck frame 11, which carries the units16 and 17, with respect to the car axle lOvmay take place withoutaiecting the operation of the several pumping elements. Such movementwill aiieet merely the amount ofclearance above mentioned as the severalunits are moved toward or away from the car axle 10 duc to variations inload on the truck frame 11.

Similarly, it may be noted that the faces 'of the eccentrics 3l and 31aare of suiiicient width to maintain the rollers 28 in operative relationthereto during whatever relative movement in a ,lateral directionbetween the truck frame 11' and the car axle 10 may .take place.

In orderl to prevent rotation of the plungers 23 about their respectiveaxes, and therefore in order to maintain the rollers 28 associated witheach plunger in proper rolling contact with the eccentrics, theyokeportion 25 of each plunger is preferably squared off so that itslateral 'and parallel faces may, during the reciprocation of theplunger, contact with the guiding plates 84 f and 85, each positioned onone side of the(- lunger and suitably secured to the cpsing' 1 asmdicated in Fig.2.. The plates'84 and 85 are arcuate in shape and are of.sufficient extent to actas guides for all of the plungers associatedwith a single unit. Furthermore, they are asufiicieiit depth in thedirection of theaixisof the plunglers so that they act as guidesthroughout t e entire stroke of the several plungers. A similarconstruction comprising. the plates 84pand 85* suitably secured to thecasing .17 is employed to vprevent rotation of the' piston rod 24a andits associated operating roller 28a in the modified form shown in Fig.4.

It will thus be seen that there has been.

provided in this invention a hydraulic system for transmitting energyfrom the car axle to an electric 4generator in which the several objectsof this invention, as well as many advantages, are successfullyachieved. It may further be noted that there has been provided,apparatus of the above nature piston,

-and it may be added also that accessibility to the several parts of thecar frame or truck is not impaired.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention and asmany changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is tobe understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth is to beinterpreted 'as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. I

I claim as my invention:

1. In apparatus of the general nature of that herein described, incombination, a car axle, an electric generator, a fluid motor fordriving said electric generator, a fluid puiripI associated with saidcar axle'and including a cylinder and a piston operating therein adaptedto drive said fluid motor, a cam melunted upon said car axle adapted tomove said piston throughout its suction stroke, and means associatedwith said piston for storing a predetermined amount of energy from saidcam during its operation of said piston throughout its suction strokeand adapted to operate said piston during its pumping stroke, wherebythe pressure mounted adjacent said .car axle and comprising a .pluralityof cylinders with their associated pistons, 'a cam mounted upon said caraxle for moving said pistons throughout their suction strokes inout-o-phase relation with respect to -one another, means associated witheach piston. adapted to ro- -ceive a predetermined amount of energy fromsaid cam during the opera-tion thereby of each piston, whereby eachpiston is moved during its pumpmg stroke bythe expenditure of saidpredetermined 'amount of energy in said means associated with each andmeans connecting the output of each cylinder with said fluid motor,whereby said motor is supplied from said plurality of pistons by luid atsubstantially constant pressure.

3.` In apparatus of the general nature of that herein described, incombination, a car axle, `an electric generator, a VHuid motor fordriving said generator, a fluid pump driven from said car axle andadapted to drive said fluid motor, means associated with said pump formaintaining the pressure'of its output substantially constantirrespective of the speed of operation of said pump axle, an electricgenerator, afluid motor for driving said generator, a fluid pump mountedadjacent said car axle and adapted to drive said fluid motor, means forreceiving a predetermined amount of energy assoeiated with said fluidpump, a cam mounted on said car axle for storing energy 1n said means,whereby sald luld pump is operated by the expenditure of saidpredetermined amount of energy and whereby said fluid motor is suppliedWith Huid at substantially constant pressure irrespective of the speedof said car axle, and means adapted to regulate said motor in accordancewith the voltage of said generator to maintain the same substantiallyconstant.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this27th day of September, 1921.

WALTER L. CONWELL.

